5 Scholarship Opportunities for Dancers

Everyone knows that college can be very expensive. Fortunately, dancers in the U.S. can apply for general scholarships designed for students studying all fields. Additionally, scholarships specifically for dancers can help lighten the financial load of higher education. The majority of these scholarships are school-specific, but here are 5 scholarship opportunities for dancers that can be used at most colleges, universities, and dance programs.

1. YoungARTS Scholarship

The youngARTS scholarship program, hosted by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, is probably the most well-known scholarship program for dancers. Each year, the program awards scholarships that range from $250 to $10,000 to 150 dancers. There is a $25-35 fee to register with the youngARTS program, but most participants agree that applying is worth the time and money, as everyone who applies is included in the NFAA’s Scholarhip List Service. The Scholarship List Service provides colleges and professional schools with the names of all students registered with youngARTS, so having one’s name on the list provides an extra advantage when applying for other dance and art scholarships.

2. Harlequin Dance Scholarship

For students 15 to 21 years old who are currently enrolled in some sort of dance program, the Harlequin Dance Scholarship is another great option. Each year, the American Harlequin Corporation awards a total of $25,000 in the form 20 scholarships that range from $500 to $5,000. Students applying for this scholarship must submit a letter of nomination from a current dance instructor. Scholarships are awarded based on a drawing of all nominated dancers.

3. Princess Grace Awards

For students who have already been dancing at a non-profit school for at least a year, the Princess Grace Awards is a great option. This organization sends scholarship funds directly to the schools where dancers are already enrolled, and may be used towards tuition costs only. Princess Grace grants generally range from $5,000 to $25,000, which is dependent primarily upon each student’s individual financial abilities and tuition costs.

4. Jessica Karrat Dance Scholarship Fund

The Jessica Karrat Dance Scholarship Fund also provides college tuition grants, and is applicable towards all two- and four-year colleges and universities along with all dance schools in the United States. This scholarship is in memory of Jessica Karrat, a dancer who passed away in a car accident at the age of 13. Because this is a memorial grant, large funds aren’t available, but a minimum of one $500 grant is awarded each year to a happy dancer with big talent and even bigger dreams.

5. Worldstudio AIGA Scholarship

The Worldstudio AIGA scholarship program, which aims to increase diversity in the creative professions, is an excellent opportunity for minority and economically disadvantaged dancers. Each year, AIGA provides scholarships ranging from $200 to $2,000, which are based on need, merit, and applicants’ demonstrated activism in social justice issues. The scholarships are available to students who are or will be enrolled in a full-time 4-year undergraduate degree program studying dance or other fine arts.

Special thanks to our guest contributor for compiling this list: Louise Baker ranks online degrees for Zen College Life. She most recently wrote about the best colleges online.

Have you been the recipient of a scholarship award for dance?

If you know of other programs that offer financial awards to dancers, share it with readers in the comments.

Who Wants To Rock The Vote In These Online Dance Contests?

Viral video, dance contests, flash mobs; dance is everywhere online and there are plenty of places you can get in on the action. Below you’ll find three top spots to get your groove on and maybe win some prizes. These contests are already underway so hurry!

Keep reading for two big contests in their final round. These feature some spectacular videos for your digital viewing pleasure. Make sure you get your say in the outcome! Then, stay tuned because these videos have inspired a follow-up article sure to ignite your imagination and invigorate your classes!

Vie For Video Domination

My Mutation

The Basics: As part of their Spring Dance festival the Sydney Opera House, in collaboration with YouTube presents this online dance competition. Create your own 40 second dance solo. The first 20 seconds are your interpretation of the starter solo (performed by Josh Mu), choreographed by Kate Champion, Artistic Director of one of Australia’s leading dance companies, Force Majeure and choreographer for the international stage production of Dirty Dancing. The second 20 seconds is a continuation of the solo in your own style. You have until August 10 to upload your video. Finalists will be chosen and will participate in two more rounds of challenges. Once narrowed to only 5 finalists, voters will choose the winner.

What You Win: The winner will score the ultimate prize of rehearsing with Kate Champion to bring his/her unique performance to life at the screening of Footloose on September 26. In addition to the thrill of performing live at Sydney Opera House, the winner will receive $2,000, a SONY HD flash Handycam camcorder, as well as a SONY ‘Bloggie’ HD snap camera.

Who Can Enter: The contest is global and there are no age restrictions!

Find Out More: www.youtube.com/sydneyoperahouse or visit Spring Dance on the Sydney Opera House website.

Dr. Pepper Cherry YouTube Dance Studio Contest

(that’s a mouthful!)

The Basics: Show off your amazingly smooth mooves. Submit a video of yourself dancing to one of the three approved songs, using the provided choreography for the first part and your own freestyle for the rest. Choose between a Jazz Funk, Hip-Hop, or B-Boys and B-Girls routine. Learn the moves, download the song, make your video, and submit, but hurry! Submissions must be in by August 2. Four finalists will be chosen, then it is up to voters to decide on the winner (to be announced August 31).

What You Win: You could win a trip for two to Los Angeles, where you’ll spend a day with Jon M. Chu (director of StepUp 2 and upcoming StepUp 3) at a jam session with some of the best hip-hop dancers around, and the chance to be in an upcoming Ultra Records music video.

Who Can Enter: U.S. residents 18 years and up.

Find Out More: www.youtube.com/dancestudio

Dance Your Ph.D. 2010

The Basics: I cannot resist including this unique contest which invites entrants to turn their Ph.D. thesis into a dance! Any scientist in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, or the social sciences with some friends, a great idea, and a cheap video camera can win. According to GonzoLabs (a virtual research institution where art, science, and culture intersect), the best dances not only insightfully reveal the scientific content of the PhD thesis, they not only show artistry to create a compelling spectacle, but they also creatively combine these two aspects in a successful execution. Submissions are due by September 1, 2010.

What You Win: A cash prize of $500 goes to a winner in each category, with an additional $500 to the Best Ph.D. Dance of All. Finalists from each category will have their videos screened at Imagine Science Film Festival in NYC.

Who Can Enter: You have to be 18 years or older, have a Ph.D. in a science-related field, or be working on one as a Ph.D. student and you must be part of the dance.

Find Out More: www.gonzolabs.org/dance

More, more, more

• If you are a fan of Cirque Du Soleil and in the Boston area, you may want to check out the Cirque Du Soleil Bug Dance Contest!
• If you fancy yourself a choreographer, submit a dance routine for Big Girls Don’t Cry by Mik Brown for the chance to win $500.

Vote For Video Favorites

Global Dance Contest

International dance venue, Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London offers a cash prize and a chance to perform live at Sadler’s Wells Sampled, a yearly showcase of the best in dance from around the world. Ten entries are being selected by a judges panel right now. Voting will commence August 9, so keep your eye on www.globaldancecontest.com.

Step Up 3D Dance Dub Contest

Vote now at www.youtube.com/StepUpMovie and help one of four American dance studios win a $7500 Best Buy gift certificate to improve their space. Broadway Dance Center (New York, NY), Focal Point Dance Studio (Miami, FL), Dance 411 Studios (Atlanta, GA), IDA Hollywood (Los Angeles, CA) are battling it out with their own energetic, single-shot dub to Club Can’t Handle Me, a song I actually didn’t mind listening to four times in a row!

And Don’t Forget…!

Okay, this one isn’t a contest but National Dance Day (a grassroots movement, spearheaded by Nigel Lythgoe and Dizzy Feet Foundation) is coming up on July 31. The effort is being recognized with an official act of Congress when Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a long-time proponent of healthy lifestyles, will introduce a National Dance Day resolution at a press conference on National Dance Day in Washington, D.C., to promote dance education and physical fitness across the U.S. If by chance you haven’t heard of National Dance Day, you can find more info at www.dizzyfeetfoundation.org.

Tabitha and Napolean have contributed a little choreography to help you get in the spirit and get up and move. It too is choregoraphed to Club Can’t Handle Me. Check it out below:

Social Smarts LIVE Chat

Chat Archive:

The archive to the chat can be found at Chatroll (you do have to be have to register for free with Chatroll to view the archive online)

Here is the archive from today’s chat, available for download: Social Smarts Live Chat

Check back for more links and useful info.

The purpose of of Social Smarts Chat

Marc, Suzanne and Nichelle all enjoy using social media and believe it can be a great tool for dancers, dance studios, dance companies, and dance teachers to grow their businesses and their online presence. We are not social media “experts.” There won’t be any surprise invitations to join a mailing list or buy an e-book. We are consumers of social media and like most consumers, we have our own ideas and experiences regarding what is effective and not in social networking. Though these ideas will come through in our chat, our purpose is to share our methods for making informed choices when it comes to social media, marketing ideas, and forming relationships online. Much of what we’ll be talking about is just good business sense but we will also give you some online tools and know-how that will hopefully help you see beyond any internet mumbo-jumbo and serve you as you navigate online encounters with would-be business partners, consultants, or affiliations.

Announcing The Social Smarts Live Chat

Today I am announcing something special and totally unique on this blog.

On Wednesday, June 23 at 2:30pm EST I will be hosting a LIVE chat with Suzanne Gerety of DanceStudioOwner.com and Marc Kirschner of TenduTV right here on Dance Advantage.

We will be chatting about a topic that is important to all three of us: Social Smarts

Have you noticed all the social media advice coming from every direction?

A lot of people offer it for free. Others want you to pay for it. But either way it can be tough, when you are the new kid on the block, to know who to trust and from whom to take guidance. Even as three participants who have been “socializing” online for a relatively long time, Suzanne, Marc, and I can give no definitive answers about what will help you reach your unique goals online.

Therefore, our purpose for this chat is not to tell you how you should be approaching or growing your presence via social media.

Instead, we want to share with you how we ourselves filter the incoming information and “expert” advice that pervades the Internet and the online dance community so that you might make smart choices in your very own decisions and feel confident in your approach as you grow your presence online.

Why this trio?

Suzanne, Marc, and I all “met” on Twitter around the same time in early 2008. Though Twitter had been around since ’06 it didn’t really make its mark until 2007. When I joined, I did so because bloggers were some of the early adopters of the platform and recommended it. No one else I knew used Twitter. It took practically another year before I was really even finding potential readers (dance teachers, students, parents) who were using it. But, I was very fortunate to connect with a few other dance bloggers and industry leaders, and even more fortunate to become friends with a handful of folks that were not only experts in their field but really great people.

“By the end of 2007, about 500,000 tweets per quarter were posted. By the end of 2008, 100 million tweets per quarter were posted. By the end of 2009, 2 billion tweets per quarter were posted. In the first quarter of 2010, 4 billion tweets per quarter were posted.” – Twitter (Wikipedia)

Fast forward.

The web is now a very social place. In fact, my Facebook story is not all that different from Twitter. I joined there in 2006, a while before my friends were and long before businesses were utilizing it publicly. In the last six months alone I’ve observed a flood of dance companies, studios, businesses, websites, and yes readers joining the fray on both Twitter and Facebook. So while Marc, Suzanne, and I have not necessarily been around from the beginning of it all, it is fair to say that we’ve been witnesses and participants for quite a bit of the social media explosion — more experienced than someone just starting perhaps, but still learning, using, and occasionally relying on advice from others when determining how to make the most of social media.

The three of us share a passion for dance and for using social media to contribute to and strengthen the dance community. Yet we approach social media with varying goals and perspectives, based on our different roles. In this way, I feel we three are a useful cross section of the dance community’s social media consumers.

We are happy to share with you what we’ve encountered and learned along the way.

We hope you’ll join us as I moderate and guide a Q&A with Suzanne and Marc and then open it up to questions from you!

We’ll see you Wednesday, June 23 at 2:30pm EST!

Leveraging Your Dance Studio’s Identity To Grow Your Business

What are some ways that you can grow your business that aligns with your unique vision and studio mission?

Leverage what you already do well and combine that with some effective low-cost marketing strategies, which I’ll tell you about below.

I know you’re up to big things at your dance studio.  Before we can go any further into low cost marketing, though, I’m assuming that you:

Provide quality dance instruction to your students and are aware of your ‘brand’ of dance instruction.

Have reliable business systems in place for potential and current students to register for classes and participate in everything your studio has to offer.

Have a solid commitment to customer service and student/parent relations.

Offer a syllabus that allows for ongoing growth and improvement.

You and your team are producing successful students at all ages and abilities. This could mean a happy three year old who separates from a parent and fully participates in a 30-minute movement class to a first time dancer moving from beginner ballet to intermediate.  Or it could be your star dancer getting accepted into a college program they set their sight on years ago.  Not every dancer aspires to be a professional.  Know what success means to you and your students at every age and ability.

The fundamentals and basics of any business, especially a dance studio, must be in recognizing where the focus is before you invest your precious time in low cost marketing strategies.

Low Cost Marketing Strategy #1: Logo Items

One of the best purchases you can make in terms of a walking billboard of your business is logo wear and logo items.  The options are vast, the best place to find out what would be effective is to ask your current students what they’d be proud to wear around town or at at school. The most popular logo wear items at our studio are zip up hoodies, flannel pants, dance shorts, tanks and tees.

If you cringe at the thought of matching track suits or sporting your logo all over your clothes how about waterbottles, insulated cups, decals, stickers, pens, pencils, reusable tote bags, or backpacks?

Another example, we just had custom coloring pages created with our logo and crayon boxes made for birthday parties and dance camps. Infuse your personality, your studio’s mission and vision, and just have some fun with your logo items.

Low Cost Marketing Strategy #2: Demo Days and Open Houses

Rarely does a new student make a decision on where to take dance lessons based on one point of contact such as a website or brochure alone.

Demo days or open houses at your dance studio are one of the most effective ways to keep new students coming through your door and current students talking about why they dance with you.

One way to take this strategy to the next level is to add a unique theme.  At our studio we’ve had everything from an African Zulu Drumming day to a Tap Jam to Hip Hop events and more.  You can host an open house on a day you already have classes running and let people observe or tour your facility.  What can you celebrate right now? Don’t wait! Now is the perfect time to get the word out about why people would want to take a dance class with you. Again, keep it fun and interesting.

Low Cost Marketing Strategy #3: Friends and Family Appreciation

It doesn’t cost anything to say thank you. Extending your appreciation to your friends and family of your dance studio community feels great.

So many business owners focus an incredible amount of time and money on constantly generating new business.  I think that is important, however don’t over look the good will that extending a genuine thank you or we appreciate you can provide.  Above and beyond a kind word of thanks you can also extend some special incentives.

At our studio any parent of a child currently taking class will receive 50% off tuition of a class of their choice.  This keeps our adult only classes full and gives the parents a tie back to our studio as well.  I can’t tell you how many moms say that they love being able to take a jazz class or ballet class again with other parents or adults.  This is a retention strategy as well. Not only are the students tied to our studio but the parents love us too!

Some dance studios do a marvelous job promoting the local small businesses of parents of their studio.  Where can you publicly thank or praise or acknowledge the work your volunteers provide?  This goes way beyond bring a friend to class day, get creative with showing your appreciation for family and friends of your dance studio.

Applications Offline AND Online

Evaluate your current venues for getting the word out about your studio, your students, and the joy of dance. A personal testimonial or recommendation is priceless. People speaking highly of you, your staff, and your programs has power no tangible method of advertising could ever produce.

There is power in letting others know how you positively impact your customer base. This applies to social media too! And it is definitely a tool and platform to add to the list of low cost marketing methods.

Social media done well is an invitation to join your community to work, to play and to celebrate dance education and performance. Demo days, open houses, and guest teacher events are fun to promote and easy to talk about on social media. Plus you can always get the conversation going by saying hello, thank you, and I appreciate you to your followers and fans.

Have video or slide shows to add to a YouTube channel? What about pictures for your Facebook fan page? They are a great way to keep your name out in the community.

Here’s the video from the fun we had last week with the Jason Sadler and Evan White the duo from IWearYourShirt.com wearing the DanceStudioOwner.com logo t-shirt.  Again, have fun with social media!

Social Media Can Enhance and Enliven Your Brand

While all the great tweets, interesting posts, thumbs up, friends and likers can enhance and enliven your public image, reputation, and the potential for attracting new students, they will not secure the foundation of your business.

In your approach to social media, I’d like you to take away this thought: Be great with the fundamentals in your business and you’ll find plenty of things to be social about on social media.

Low cost marketing strategies aren’t complicated, however customizing them to your studio’s vision and mission will make them most effective.  In general marketing strategies give the public a chance to see, touch, and experience the spirit, mission and results you produce at your studio without having to make a commitment to registration.

Becoming the talk of the town for all the right reasons will always have the ‘brand equity’ that is priceless.

What have you found to be the most effective way to leverage your dance studio’s identity with low cost marketing methods?

Don’t miss Suzanne at the Dance Teacher Summit in NYC this summer! As a presenter, she’ll be providing even more insight and valuable tips for growing your business.

Why Dance Matters

Why Dance Matters is a virtual event that rallies the dance community online. Bridging the gap between arts awareness campaigns usch as Arts Advocacy Day (April 12), International Dance Day (April 29), and National Dance Week (May 2), Why Dance Matters seeks to affirm the impact dance has on the lives of individuals and communities using social media.

The inaugural event attracted participants from all over the globe with 1000 Facebook attendees and a host of Twitter tweets using the hashtag #whydancematters.

Why Dance Matters 2010 (April 12 – May 3)

Why Does Dance Matter To You? – Details of the 2010 event and how to participate

Why DOES Dance Matter? – Nichelle’s thoughts on Why Dance Matters universally

At The Heart Of The Matter – Nichelle’s thoughts on Why Dance Matters personally

Why Dance Matters to YOU – A roundup of 2010 blog post submissions, videos, and more.

Now That The Event Is Over

Find Why Dance Matters on the NEW Facebook page to continue the conversation, share, submit, and discuss why dance matters to you, as well as keep updated on where this big/little event will go next!

At The Heart Of The Matter: Our 300th Post!

Many thanks again to René Michaels for the use of his fabulous photo. Click to see more of his work.

A number of weeks ago, I decided I wanted to do something special to celebrate National Dance Week on the blog. Realizing that April was a huge month for arts awareness, I decided to utilize social media to focus on dance (all kinds of dance) in a way that would form a bridge of conversation connecting these campaigns and the artists, dancers, and communities that support them. I’d like to say I spent a ton of time planning, organizing, and more but well, to be honest, I just jumped in to see where this big/little idea would carry me.

What I’d hoped was that Why Dance Matters would be fun and exciting for the community that has grown up around Dance Advantage, and that these folks would help to spread enthusiasm among dancers on Facebook. What was unexpected, as things unfolded, was the way the idea spread elsewhere to places like Twitter (thanks to Marc Kirschner of TenduTV who first suggested the #whydancematters hashtag) and was picked up by bloggers and organizations with whom I have had little to no association.

And so carry me, it did! The contributions to this conversation, this affirmation, this confirmation that dance does indeed matter to so many, for so many powerful and meaningful reasons… how validating for this dancer, for this teacher, and for this writer/appreciator of words!

As I looked ahead at the calendar, I spotted something else unexpected… I wish I could claim I masterminded this, but in truth it is a happy accident that this final day of Why Dance Matters is perfectly aligned to accommodate the 300th article posted to this site.

Without further ado…

The Heart Of The Matter

I have already contributed some of my thoughts on why dance matters in a universal sense. Here is my personal reflection:

There are intellectual reasons dance matters to me as an individual. That there are millions of ways to explore, capture, uncover, understand, implement, manipulate, and communicate through and within dance keeps me forever intrigued by possibility. This goes for training, teaching, creating, and performing movement. There are the physical benefits to dance. A body made to move feels and functions better in motion. There is emotional connectedness. When I dance I am linked to a community, to humanity, to a past, to a present, to a future. I am connected to myself, embracing choices big and small that sometimes surprise even me… I could go on about the number of ways dance fascinates.

I don’t have clear memories of a time in my life when dance was not a presence. And yet, there have been many occasions when I might have walked away from it altogether, taking some other path. So here I am digging deep into first encounters to find the reasons why I never can or could.

Though my brother and I had much love, much support, much for which I am grateful, my elementary school years were a tumultuous time in our household. The details are not necessary – a scenario that plays out in thousands of homes when parents do the best they can but little ears still hear, little eyes still see, and little hearts soak up the uncertainty around them. That my mom had danced as a girl, that a new studio opened in town: these circumstances led me to dance. Somewhat shy, I took to nonverbal expression. I was studious, aiming to please. In dance I found something I was good at. Something that made me feel special. In dance I found teachers who believed in me even when I did not. I felt in control of what happened in the studio and, in addition to instruction, I was given the tools to create and make my own choices about movement. In essence, dance punched holes in the veil of powerlessness that threatened my light and joy. I’m positive others have experienced this sense of powerlessness in childhood or at any age and so I am getting personal for a moment in this public space to say, Dance empowered me and it still does. And that’s why dance matters to me.

While we had an amazing turnout on Facebook, the site’s most recent changes interfered with my ability to communicate directly with those who opted to participate in our event. While disappointing, I am wowed that so many chose to join up! Now you can continue the conversation, share and discuss Why Dance Matters on Facebook via its NEW page!

Click here

Chicago’s Menomonee Club Dancers Show ‘Why Dance Matters’

Recently the Menomonee Club, which has been improving urban life for children on Chicago’s north side for almost sixty years, spent a week in April focusing on the theme “Art matters to me” in all their arts programming. The Club offers a mix of supervised team sports, recreational, and social programs for kids ages 3 through 18, as well as select programs for adults. According to their website, the not-for-profit Menomonee Club for Boys and Girls is “dedicated to providing children from diverse backgrounds with quality recreation and enrichment activities that foster personal growth and skill development.”

Thanks to Performing Arts Coordinator, Lauren Warnecke, children in their dance program were given the opportunity to submit statements and drawings completing the thought,  “Dance matters because….” The wonderful sample below was selected for publishing on Dance Advantage. I am happy to share these with you during National Dance Week! I hope you’ve taken some time during this busy month of arts advocacy to celebrate at your own studios!

VIEW SLIDESHOW ON Flickr

Announcement

You may have recognized Lauren Warnecke’s name from a recent guest post, Watching Versus Doing In Dance Education. Lauren received dance training at Barat College, holds a BA in Dance from Columbia College Chicago and an MS in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois-Chicago. She has more than ten years of teaching experience, and is currently seeking a teacher’s certification through the Cecchetti Council of America, which you’ll read more about tomorrow on the blog!

A few months ago, after our paths crossed online, I took some time to look at Lauren’s website, Art Intercepts. As a body-mechanic wanna-be I was drawn to her knowledge of both dance and kinesiology and the detailed way in which she presented the information. I discovered that Art Intercepts is a project developed during her graduate work which Lauren fortunately continued and seeks to expand. With goals of improving dance education, teaching practices, and overall health and wellness, I feel Lauren’s work and experience are a good fit for Dance Advantage. And so, Lauren will continue “bridging the gap between experience and evidence” in a regular column here. I couldn’t be more thrilled to have her aboard!

Complete your own “Dance matters because…” statement in the comments below!

And while you are in that zone, take a moment to reflect on the great impact you make as someone in the dance community, and the responsibility we all have to ensure that others receive the same opportunities to enjoy and experience dance.

Why Does Dance Matter To You?

Why does it matter to your community?

Why does it matter to your nation? To the world?

Why Dance Matters

is a virtual event that rallies the dance community on Facebook and beyond.

UPDATE! The event is over but the conversation continues! Why Dance Matters now has its own “home” on Facebook & Twitter (also see #whydancematters). For more info about the event and how it began read on…

I know why dance matters to me. What’s the point in telling anyone else?

Movement is essential in the lives of all humans. All cultures, all ages, all socioeconomic groups, all peoples dance. Yet dance organizations and artists lack sufficient funding and support from governments, administrators, and the general public. The importance of dance as an art form, in education, and for human health, is largely undervalued.

Some care about who is in the bottom three on Dancing With The Stars. Some care to theorize about the winners on So You Think You Can Dance or root for the Best Dance Crew. You and I and many of the people involved in those TV shows know that dance matters for deeper reasons. Reasons that are sometimes difficult to express. But that does not mean we should not try to convey it.

“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.”  ~Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

For those of us who practice, teach, and create dance, it is fundamental. We live dance. We breathe it. It is powerful, life-changing, and crucial. Communicating the importance of dance to the uninitiated is not a new idea. Organizations and initiatives like International Dance Day (April 29), National Dance Week (April 23 – May 2) and DanceVote2010 raise awareness and affirm the impact dance has on the lives of individuals and communities. In fact, in conjunction with its 50th Anniversary, Americans for the Arts is asking enthusiasts to send videos about why the arts matter. In anticipation of these April events, Why Dance Matters, poses a similar question to the online dance community, specifically those congregating on sites like Facebook and Twitter. The ambition is to harness the power of social media to make sharing, celebrating, and shouting about dance easier.

Others Are Already Joining In

The Why Dance Matters event page on Facebook already has around 200 attendees. Leaders in the online dance community like TenduTV and DanceStudioOwner.com are supportive and excited about sharing it with their friends, fans, and followers. Why Dance Matters appeared in a recent Dance/NYC e-blast, and dance schools like the Menomonee Club in Chicago are asking their students to write, draw, and explain why dance matters.

Download a template for your studio here:

Why does dance matter to you (doc)

Why does dance matter to you (pdf)

You can get involved too! Here’s How:

If you are on Facebook, begin by heading to http://tinyurl.com/dancematters and select that you are attending the virtual event.

Once you’ve done so, don’t forget to share and invite your friends to take part!

It is that simple!

This isn’t just about numbers, though.

From updating a status and donning a profile badge to creating a video or blog, you may choose your own level of participation throughout the event which lasts from April 12 through May 3rd.

The idea is to take action and share Why Dance Matters to YOU! Here are some of the ways you can do just that (hint: I’ve started with the easiest ones):

• Upload the ASK ME Why Dance Matters button and make it your profile picture at any point during or throughout the entire event.
• Add the following to your Facebook status once, twice, even every day of the event: “Dance matters because… (you fill in the rest).If you are stuck, please check the event wall or the discussion at DA’s fan page and borrow the ideas submitted by others.
• Write a post on your blog or studio website and let others know Why Dance Matters. Then, share your URL as a link on the event page.
• Create a video about Why Dance Matters. These can also be uploaded to the event page. (If you hurry, you might also submit it on YouTube for the Americans for the Arts, Why Arts Matter Video Contest!)
• Upload photos, share stories, or find new, creative ways to show that dance is important to you and your community!

Not on Facebook? It’s okay, you can still participate. Comment on this post, submit your URLs, videos, thoughts, images, etc. to me (). I would be happy to feature as many as I can right here on Dance Advantage.

This is a shared event. This is our collective voice. This is why dance matters to our children, to our community, to us! Therefore, in the spirit of this event, be true, be professional and courteous, be respectful to individuals and to the variety of dance modalities that enrich our lives and cultures. Dance is more than steps and more than the movements that differentiate dance forms or even distinguish dance from walking, meeting, or breathing.

Dare any doubters to ASK US Why Dance Matters!

Join attendees at the Why Dance Matters event page!

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Please join me in thanking Rene Michaels Photo & Design for the use of his dance-action photography in the Why Dance Matters logo.

Thanks also go to Marc Kirschner of TenduTV, Suzanne Blake Gerety of DanceStudioOwner.com, Art Intercepts‘ Lauren Warnecke and the Menomonee Club, Maria Hanley, and many many others for their enthusiasm and support.

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Why Arts Matter Video Contest –
April 1 – June 30: Upload your video
June: Preview of video submission at Americans for the Arts Annual Convention
July 1 – September 31: Voting period
October: Announcement of winners to kick off National Arts & Humanities Month

Arts Advocacy Day and the Why Arts Matter Video Contest are initiatives of Americans for the Arts. For 50 years, Americans for the Arts has led the national effort to ensure that every American has an opportunity to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Championing the cause of the arts and arts education in communities across the country, they provide programs that help: 1) foster an environment in which the arts can thrive and contribute to the creation of more livable communities; 2) generate more public- and private-sector resources to support arts and arts education; and 3) build individual appreciation of the value of the arts. Find out more at www.americansforthearts.org/

The Coalition for National Dance Week was formed in 1981 by a group of dance related organizations who began a strong “grass roots” movement across the United States to bring greater recognition to dance as an art form. In 1991, the United Dance Merchants of America made a commitment to National Dance Week as a part of the UDMA campaign to actively encourage the growth of Dance in America. UDMA and NDW are dedicated to honoring all dancers, choreographers, teachers, students and their art and invite all supporters to join in their efforts to celebrate their appreciation for the dance arts as they continue on the quest for raising the public consciousness to the inherent benefits of dance. Find out more at www.nationaldanceweek.org

The Right Steps Towards A Career In Dance

Many children have a desire to dance. Some proclaim that when they grow up they want to become professional dancers. While many youth share this dream, only a few make it.

While it may be difficult to have a career in dance, it is definitely possible. Here are some helpful ways to make your dance dream into a reality:

1. Become more knowledgeable about your craft
2. Take a variety of dance classes
3. Become a choreographer
4. Consider a degree in Dance
5. Build connections through networking

Become more knowledgeable about your craft:

Like in any profession, the more you know the better off you will be. The same rule applies for dance. It is a common misconception that dancers rely solely on their muscles. In reality, dancers rely much more on the brain. Learning choreography at a fast pace, reversing combinations, and timing movement to new music takes some serious brain power!

Aside from the physical aspects of dance, become knowledgeable about the entire field. If you are interested in ballet, perhaps research the history of ballet and see how your favorite arabesque came into existence. For Hip-Hop lovers, why not research the early Poppers or see where Krump dancing originated? Remember that a well informed dancer is a promising professional dancer who can contribute to the field in new and exciting ways.

Take a variety of dance classes:

It can be scary to break out of the comfortable confines of your local studio. But branching out has many benefits for an aspiring dance professional. By taking a wide variety of dance classes from different sources, you become a more versatile dancer. In today’s dance industry, versatility is extremely important. Sure you can specialize in a specific dance genre, but it is also important to be well-versed in a variety of styles. Most private studios offer the standard ballet, jazz and modern combination of courses. However, some offer tap, ethnic forms (like African and Latin styles), hip-hop (house, breaking, popping, locking), lyrical, contemporary and modern!

Take as many different dance classes as you can from different sources. If you belong to a studio, why not supplement your training with additional workshops and master classes? What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, so if you can survive a grueling dance schedule than you are taking a step in the right direction.

Explore choreography:

Many leading industry professionals are required to contribute to the choreographic process. Even if your goal is to dance for a company, you should still be able to choreograph or create new movement on your own. Some choreographers ask dancers to improvise movement during a rehearsal or develop a phrase to go along with set choreography. Being able to create new movement is not rocket science—it takes creativity. Explore the way your body moves by improvising on your own. Try new things and do not be afraid to break outside of the barriers when creating new movement. After all, the objective is to create something new and exciting—so take a chance. You might surprise yourself and gain a new appreciation for choreographers. You may even become one!

Consider a degree in dance:

Dancers and artists fight an economic battle. To defeat debt, underfunded programs, and unemployment, it is important to come equipped for battle. One of your most reliable shields can be a degree in dance. There are now a host of higher education dance departments across the country. Some offer Bachelors of Arts (most liberal arts colleges and universities) while others offer a Bachelor in Fine Arts Degree (most conservatories). Some programs are large and require dance 24/7. Conservatories are dance training programs that prepare dancers to go out into the performance world ready for battle. Liberal Arts programs offer life skills such as writing, public speaking, problem solving and developing the inner artist. These programs also prepare graduates to become professional dancers and advocates for the arts. Conservatories and Liberal Arts programs have different approaches to dance training, but each has had countless success stories and many graduates currently working as professional dancers. A degree in dance sets you apart from the competition and exposes you to newer dance forms such as partnering, postmodern, and contact improvisation.

While some schools focus more on dance training, some specialize in dance scholarship and the academic component of the field. So explore your options and see if there is a dance program that suits your needs. Chances are you will find at least one program that can challenge your dancing and intellectual pursuits all at the same time.

Build connections through networking:

Some dancer landed that dream job because he had a cousin whose best friend’s fiancé knew the artistic director of a company. While this scenario is extreme, it is often how things play out. Somebody you know knows people in high places who can give your resumé some extra attention or land you the audition you always wanted. Do not be afraid to put yourself out there and network. Design a blog, web site or social networking page dedicated to your work in dance. A resumé, headshot (professional photos) and reel of performances and choreography are never a bad idea. With new technologies, promoting yourself as the dance professional you want to be is becoming easier and easier. Do not hesitate to talk to friends, family and co-workers about your goals, because you may be surprised at who can help you become a professional dancer.

Final Thoughts:

Hard work and dedication always win out in the end. If you believe in yourself, never give up, and work until you see your dream become a reality. Go out into the world and make your own creative opportunities. You have the power to create your own career.

S.T.E.P. Your Way To Social Media Success

Dance Advantage is very happy to announce Suzanne Blake Gerety’s new column Studio Bizwax! To wax lyrical means “to talk about in an enthusiastic and effusive way.” I can’t think of a better description for the way Suzanne fulfills her role in the dance community. Not only is she the Vice President of her her mom’s very successful dance studio but she is the co-founder of DanceStudioOwner.com, a wonderful site for those who are exploring, starting, or growing their dance studio business. I am an affiliate for DSO because I have witnessed first-hand the care Suzanne has taken to make the site a a truly useful support for studio owners. I’ve found her to be a wonderful resource and she’s been a great friend as well so I am thrilled that she’ll be sharing her knowledge with Dance Advantage readers bimonthly.

-Nichelle

Here’s how you can S.T.E.P. your way to social media success!

#1. Share

Retweet other people’s posts, quote and link to great blog posts by others, share what you are reading, let people know information that could benefit from.

Be a connector.

Social media is about making connections.  One of the things we do with our dance studio fan page is to post about local theatre productions and community events.  Why?  Because we know that the hours of dance lessons that our young dancers have has a potential impact on local theater. We want to spread goodwill to our sister arts organizations.  See yourself as part of the thread woven between your arts community.

#2. Teach

Post favorite quotes, share your expertise, add value, be generous with your knowledge it does make a difference.

A crossroads for dance studios. Many dance studios today are still very protective, not only their class schedules, but tuition fees, competition schedules, studio policies and more. It’s the fear that the studio across town will take or steal information that would cause that studio to lose students. I completely understand the worry.

Here’s the reality. I also represent a demographic I like to call ‘busy mom’. I’m the target market for many dance studios, I have two young kids. First thing in the morning, I don’t read the local paper. But I do read the newsfeed on Facebook and I certainly check trending topics and updates on Twitter. Text messaging is the best way to reach me.

How will you serve this demographic by decreasing your presence, hiding a class schedule, or making registering for classes a challenge? Dance studios want more students; they want their current students to be loyal raving fans. Social media is a great way to achieve this if done well.

#3. Engage

Talk to people! Reply to them, help them, connect people, be social, have fun. Be yourself, let your personality shine through.

Take it one step at a time. Social media is not a race with a winner crowned at the end. You’re missing the point if your approach to social media for your business is all about getting more followers as fast as you can. Soon enough it will become commonplace for every business and brand to have some sort of social media outlet to connect with their clients, customers, and students. We all started with one fan or one follower.

If you are a studio owner (or are going to be), I highly recommend Dance Studio Owner. It’s membership includes studio owners from 44 of the United States and countries all over the world including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, People’s Republic of China, and Norway.

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